


NICK-names

by Pinkithai



Series: [valentine liked that] [1]
Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Cussing, F/M, Fluff, My First AO3 Post, Oneshot, im NEW in town ya'll, sole aint exactly sole cause she's more of a oc so thats why it's original female character so? idk, tumblr: missfeelgoods, uwu
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-16
Updated: 2019-08-16
Packaged: 2020-09-02 09:13:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20273509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pinkithai/pseuds/Pinkithai
Summary: During the months they've spent in the Commonwealth together, Nick has already given Sole a pretty good nickname. Now the question is this: can she find the perfect one for him?





	NICK-names

**Author's Note:**

> hahahahaha you get the title joke? im funny i swear. anyway i've been writing on my tumblr and thought i should spread it to other places like here so! here we go!!!!

“How about…” She bites her lip for a moment as the pistol in her hand recoils. Another dead foe brings another nickname to the top of her head, and her face breaks into a wide smile. “Pheonix! Since you’re already Nick!” 

A deep sigh. “Nice try, kiddo. This one of those vintage things?” 

“I’ll have you know they were still making games until-! Oh, nevermind. And stop callin’ me kiddo!” 

Channeling her inner six-year-old, she kicks a dead molerat with as much temper as she can tantrum. Damn, she didn’t expect this whole nickname game to be hard. That bastard made it look so easy. Within the first weeks of traveling together, Valentine had given her an awesome nickname: Solo. Much, much better than her lame-ass name she still desperately tries to hide from him. Just think about how cool it is! All the charm of the galaxy’s favorite bad boy fit into the tiny space of an idiot who finds it fun to leave Nick behind and take down whatever bad guys are in her way all by herself. Solo! It still gives her chills how good it is. 

Shame she can’t say the same for any nickname she gives him. 

Damned Nick! Pheonix is such a great nickname (in her mind), but her cheeky reference doesn’t tickle his fancy, which means it’s time to throw out another nickname. It’s weird, if not downright awful, how the destruction of molerats keeps reminding her of names, but that isn’t something she’ll question right now. Bang! Smoke from the gun makes the air heavy. Here comes another one. 

“Okay… How about Sammy? Short for Good Samaritan, like that Priest guy called when we were talking.” 

“Did he really-“ Valentine throws a molerat over his shoulder, and it crashes through the window of a rusted car. With it goes his thought. “I- uh, think I’m good. You’re oddly adamant-” Killing molerats while carrying a conversation isn’t the best idea now that he’s doing it. Remind him to never do this again. “ -about this whole nickname business, though.” He stomps his foot on the last rat’s skull. With that disgusting splatter, the junkyard is cleared, and he lights a cigarette. “If you wanna talk, we have the time.” 

Her Pipboy beeps before she can answer. Solo rolls her eyes with a groan. “Shit. Would love to, but sounds like The Boy’s tellin’ me I’ll pass out before too long. Lucky for us, there’s a sack right here!” She turns while talking and kicks the stiff body of a child of atom away from the sleeping bag. Digging around in her backpack, she finds her travel pillow and gets ready to sleep. “Uh, wait, you’re cool with me sleeping, right?” Solo asks him before resigning herself to the zzzs. 

“Go right ahead. I’ll keep watch during night since… Well, y’know.” He gestures vaguely. Oh, right. One day she’ll get used to Valentine being a synth.

Looking a bit embarrassed, she continues. “Of course, of course. And thanks for the offer… Snuffleupagus?”

[valentine hated that.]

“The thanks I get-" She cuts herself off and snuggles into the sleeping bag. "Night, Valentine!”

He chuckles. “Night, Solo.”

Finally, peace. Well, as peaceful as the Commonwealth full of its midnight shootings and super mutant suiciders doing their thing can get. It’s in the middle of a brahmin screaming bloody murder when Solo speaks up.

“How about… Santa? ‘Cause given your age and stuff, it’s safe to call you Old Saint Nick. Get it?”

It’s not like Valentine isn’t used to her speaking up during the night as she frequently channels the spirit of a gal at a sleepover, but that doesn’t stop him from nearly dropping his cigarette. “Can’t ya be satisfied by just calling me Valentine? Or, god forbid, Nick?” he asks. 

With a sad smile, she turns to look at him. “Honestly? I just…" She reaches her arms in the air like she can catch a good word to express her feelings. "... Well, I can’t. Nick’s a fine name and all but it ain’t special. Like you are to me, y’know. It feels-" A sigh. "It feels wrong if someone special to me doesn’t have a special nickname.” Solo runs her hands through her hair, tangling the already tangled knots. “Sorry, I’m just rambling now. I’ll shut up and go to sleep. If I can. Stupid brahmin.”

“No, it’s all right. You’re… You’re also…” Valentine hears his fan kick in and some sparks dance in his chest. The noise and the almost aching feeling is just too much, and he puts a hand to his head. Why this has to happen now of all times is beyond him. 

He stumbles to get the rest of the sentence out. When he can’t, he moves onto his next thought. “I’m not the nickname kind of guy. Never been my style, really. But since it means so much to you, I’ll stop hard-assing you and tell you when you got a good one going. Just nothing dumb, that’s all I ask.”

“Ha! Knew you’d crack eventually!” With a wide smile, she hunkers down to go to bed for good. “But seriously,” she says in between yawns, “You’re the best… Hm, what about Val? Short and sweet...” Her ability to sleep almost instantaneously kicks in, and she starts to lightly snore.

Putting the cigarette back in his lips, Valentine can’t help but crack a smile. It’s only the brilliant gal who also has one brain cell when dealing with all things practical who can think of perhaps one of the few names he’d approve right before she goes to bed. Fits her criteria of “being special” too since he’s pretty sure no one has had the gall to cut his name so short.

And for some reason, he can still hear the name repeat in his head. Val, Val, Val. With each repeat brings along a new whirring in his chest, and as much as he’s worried that it’ll overclock his battered system, the feeling is quite welcomed. Warm, fuzzy (though that may be the sparks threatening to shut him down for good), and overall… human. Nothing wrong with that in his eyes, and Valentine spends the rest of the night in this dreamy haze brought over him by a certain Sole Survivor.


End file.
